Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Chapter 2
Dallas
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone” was playing when I opened my eyes. The movie was ending and it was dark outside. Carefully, I moved Luke’s arm from around me and was almost out of bed when his hand reached out and grabbed mine.
“Where’re you going, beautiful?” I smiled at the endearment.
“Just to the bathroom,” I said standing. Luke sat up and looked at me. “You want me to come with you, baby?” I smiled again.
“No, I’m okay. Go back to sleep.” I walked to the bathroom, proud of myself. Baby steps. Of course, the light was off and I got a little panicky before I turned it on, but managed to do so without hyperventilating. Peeing without Luke holding my hand-done. When I walked back into the bedroom, Luke was gone and the lights were still out. Okay, maybe I wasn’t ready just yet. The T.V. had been muted, but was still on and casting an eerie light over the room.
“Luke,” I called, too scared to walk ten steps to the light switch. No answer. Oh shit. Oh shit. My breathing was becoming heavy.
“I’m coming, baby, just looking around.” My body sagged with relief and if it hadn’t been for the wall, I would have fallen on my face. I decided to hang out in the bathroom until he got back. It didn’t take long for Luke to “look around.” He was back before I made it to the other side of the bathroom.
“I’m here,” he said, walking through the bedroom and into the bathroom in search of me.
“What were you looking at?” I asked, walking into his arms like it had been days since I had seen him and not minutes.
“Just checking around outside. I wanted to make sure the fire was burned out completely.” Shit. I had blocked so much out of my mind the past several hours, I had forgotten I burned down the damn barn. “You okay?” Luke asked, putting his hands on either side of my face. I nodded up at him and he gently rubbed his thumb over my bad eye. Then, surprisingly, he bent to kiss it. “I love you,” he said looking so deep into my eyes that I felt like his soul had said it and not his mouth.
“I love you too, Luke.” And I did. I stood on my toes to kiss him, and then grabbed his hand to lead him to bed.
Once we were settled, he turned off the T.V. and the light and pulled me to him. I was wide awake. I knew I couldn’t sleep even if my life depended on it. “Luke,” I said into the darkness.
“Hmm,” was his weak response. Luke was tired and needed sleep. I could entertain myself, surely. Maybe. “What is it, baby?” he asked a little more alert this time.
“I’m not sleepy.” I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was smiling.
“You want a sleeping pill?” he asked with laughter in his voice.
“No, I hear those things are addictive,” I responded, wondering why he was so anxious to get me to sleep that he was willing to give me a narcotic.
“I wasn’t talking about that kind of sleeping pill,” he said, kissing my neck. Warmth flooded my body and there was nothing more I wanted than him inside me once again, but Luke needed sleep and it was time for me to stop being so selfish.
“No, I’m okay,” I said breathless. My body was involuntarily pushing up against him even as I said it.
“You sure? I don’t mind fucking you until you pass out,” he said, his mouth still trailing kisses down my neck and onto my shoulder.
Luke was a strong guy. He could handle another few minutes of no sleep. I turned my body so that I was facing him then rolled him to his back. His eyes were heavy, but I could see the darkness in them as I straddled him and began kissing his chest.
“Turn over,” I demanded in a soft voice. He looked at me quizzically, but obliged. My Luke had been too good to me. The least I could do was make him feel better. He rolled onto his stomach, raising his arms on each side of his head. I sat on his ass with my knees bent, then leaned over him and began to massage his back. My effort was rewarded when I heard a few soft grunts coming from his mouth that were muffled by the pillows. I examined his hard, muscular back, running my fingers over the muscles that were beginning to relax. Luke’s back was beautiful. It looked like a photo that had been edited. His tan skin was flawless and wrapped around every muscular plane like a glove. His shoulders and neck were broad and although I didn’t know the name of most of the muscles that I ran my hands over, I knew that they too were absolutely perfect.